Former City Employee Sentenced in Theft of City Gift Cards

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Ada Ferrufino, a former employee of the City of Alexandria, was sentenced Thursday by the Alexandria Circuit Court on one felony count of embezzlement by a public employee, resulting from the theft of gift cards from a City program, the City announced.

The sentence included five years of incarceration with all but three months suspended, conditioned on three years of supervised probation, five years of good behavior, payment of court costs and restitution of $3,270, according to the City.

In October 2015, an employee of the Department of Community and Human Services reported the theft of gift cards from an office at 2525 Mt. Vernon Ave. in Del Ray.

Also read: Former Alexandria Fire Department Employee Indicted on Money-Laundering Charges

The gift cards were donated to the Fund for Alexandria’s Child to provide activities for children and families receiving City services, the City noted. The Alexandria Police Department conducted a criminal investigation, which linked Ferrufino to the recent theft of gift cards, as well as a previously unsolved theft in December 2014.

Ferrufino resigned her City employment on Nov. 10, 2015. According to state law, based on her conviction in this case, she will not be entitled to receive a public pension, the City said.

As a result of an internal review, the City has strengthened policies regarding how gift cards are received, tracked, secured, and released, the City reported.

PHOTO: Ada Ferrufino photo courtesy of Alexandria Sheriff's Office